Electric signalling lantern



Nov. 15, 1955 F. A. GROSZ 2,724,046

ELECTRIC SIGNALLING LANTERN Filed Feb. 1, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l a I I INVENTOR 5 Fen/me ,4. Geosz,

BY Wfimm/amwz $0M ATTORNEYS Nov. 15, 1955 F. A. GROSZ 2,724,046

ELECTRIC SIGNALLING LANTERN Filed Feb. 1, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 T-VIIX T3 ECER INVENTOR EA/w: A. G20 62,

BY 77Z-W7Zmdz4fiw7zm MOM/14242072 ATTORNEYS,

United States Pater ELECTRIC SIGNALLING LANTERN Frank A. Grosz, Marshall, Tex.

Application February 1, 1952, Serial No. 269,470

2 Claims. (Cl. 24010.63)

This invention relates to electric lanterns, and more particularly to a signalling lantern of the type particularly employed by railway workers for signalling purposes.

The main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved electric signalling lantern which is simple in construction, which is easy to operate, and which is arranged to provide a normal illuminated colored signal which is automatically extinguished when any other colored signal is selected for the lantern.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved electric signalling lantern which is of particular value for providing signals in railway yards and similar locations, said lantern being inexpensive to.manufacture, being reliable in operation, being usable under a wide variety of different weather conditions, and providing any one of a selected number of different colored signals, and a normal colored signal which remains visible as long as the lantern is in operation and which automatically becomes extinguished when any one of the different signalling lamps of the lantern are energized.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top view of an improved signalling lantern constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the signalling lantern of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a bottom view of the lantern of Figures 1 to 3.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a cross sectional View taken on the line 66 of Figure 3.

-Figure 7 is an enlarged cross sectional detail view taken on the line 77 of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is an enlarged cross sectional detail view taken on the line 88 of Figure 7.

9 Figure 9 is a schematic wiring diagram illustrating the electrical connections of the various elements of the signalling lantern of Figures 1 to 8.

Referring to the drawings, the lantern is designated generally at 11 and comprises a main housing 12 of substantially circular cross section which is formed at its bottom with the outwardly flaring supporting skirt or flange 13 adapted to provide a stable base for the lamp when said lamp is set down on the ground or any supporting surface. Threadedly secured in the lower portion of the main housing 12 is a flanged disc 14, the periphery of the disc 14 being formed with the annular externally threaded flange 15 which engages an internal thread provided in the wall of housing 12, said disc being formed with a diametrically extending rib 16 connecting diametrically opposite portions of the peripheral flange 15. The top portion of the housing 12 is formed wtih the generally conical wall 17 which has integrally molded therein four vertical, upstanding shells 18 in which are secured the lamp socket shells 19. Engaged in the lamp socket shells 19 are the respective lamps 20, 21, 22 and 23. Each of said lamps is of a diiferent color, for example, the lamp 20 is red, the lamp 21 is amber, the lamp 22 is green and the lamp 23 is white. As shown in Figure 1, the lamps 20 and 21 are spaced so as to define a generally square pattern having the central portion 24 of top wall 17 disposed centrally between the lamps.

It will be understood that the main housing 12 is formed of insulating material, such as'plastic material or the like. Secured to the central wall portion 24 by rivets 25, 25 is a resilient metal contact member 26 having respective wings 27 engaging the center contact terminals of the respective lamps 20, 21, 22 and 23. The metal contact member 26 is formed with the depending, vertical arms 28, 28 which extend upwardly from opposite sides of a resilient bottom arm 29 formed with the opposing wings 30, 30 which respectively engage the positive terminals 31, 31 of respective flashlight batteries 32, 32 located in the main housing 12 and engaged at their bottom surfaces by respective spring contacts 33,.

33 secured to diametrically opposite peripheral portions of disc 14 and extending inwardly therefrom, as shown in Figure 3. Designated at 34, 34 are respective slidable switch members secured on headed pin members 35, 35. extending through slots 36, 36 formed in the disc 14 on opposite sides of the rib 16, the switch members 34 being engageable with the spring elements 33 when moved outwardly, as shown for example at the right side of the lower portion of Figure 3, and being disengaged from contact with the spring member 33 when moved inwardly, as shown for example at the left side of the lower portion of Figure 3. The movable switch members 34, 34 are slidably mounted on respective arms 37, 37 of a metal strip 38 secured at 39, 39 to the disc 14 and formed with an upstanding arm 40 disposed adjacent the inside surface of the housing 12.

The main housing 12 is formed with a top peripheral flange 41. Designated at 42 is a transparent cylindrical housing which is formed with a bottom flange 43 and a top flange 44. Flange 43 is disposed on the top flange 4 1 of the main housing 12, as shown in Figure 3, and is formed with a depending, annular sealing rib 45 which is received in a correspondingly shaped annular groove formed in the top flange 41 to provide a liquid tight joint between the flanges 41 and 43. Designated at 46 is a transparent, dome-like cover whose periphery 47 is disposed on the top flange 44 of the transparent housing 42, the top flange 44 of said housing being formed with an annular sealing flange 48 which is received in a correspondingly shaped annular groove formed in the flange 47 of cover 46. Extending through the flanges 41, 43, 44 and 47 are a plurality of vertical bolts 49 provided on their top ends with fastening nuts 50 which, when tightened, clampingly secure the cover 46, and the housing 42 on which the cover is disposed, to the flange 41, and hence to the main housing 12.

Integrally secured to the flange 43 is a hollow, U- shaped, handle 51 having its side arms 52, 52 extending adjacent the housing 42, as shown in Figure 2, and being formed with the bight portion 53. As shown in Figure 2, the side arms 52, 52 are outwardly offset adjacent the flanges 44 and 47 to provide clearance for said flanges. The bight portion 53 is formed with an integral chamber 54 whose top wall is shown at 55 in Figure 7. Designated respectively at 56, 57, and 58 are respective resilient spring arms secured at one end to the top wall 55 and being provided at their free ends with the upstanding buttons 59, 60 and 61 extending slidably through the top wall 55 of chamber 54. Designated respectively at 62, 63 and 64 are respective spring arms disposed subadjacent the respective arms 56, 57 and 58 and arranged to be conduc tively engaged thereby responsive to depression of the respective buttons 59, 60 and 61. As shown in Figure 9, the spring arm 56 is connected by a wire 65 to the socket shell 19 of lamp 21. The spring arm 57 is connected by a wire 66 to the socket shell 19 of the lamp 22. The spring arm 58 is connected by a wire 67 to the lamp socket shell of the lamp 23. The spring contact arms 62, 63 and 64 are connected to a common wire 68 which is connected through a manual switch 69 and a wire 70 to the terminal strip 40. The switch 69 is mounted in the top wall 55 at one end of the chamber 54, as shown in Figure 7.

Secured in the chamber 54 subadjacent each of the switch arms 62, 63 and 64 are the respective resilient arms 71 which are engageable and which are downwardly movable by depending insulating lug elements 72 carried by the spring arms 62, 63 and 64, responsive to the depression of the buttons 59, 60 and 61. The free ends of the respective spring members 71 normally engage stationary contacts 73 and are normally disengageable from said stationary contact elements 73 responsive to the depression of the respective buttons, as above described. The respective normally closed switches defined by the contacts 71 and 73 are connected in series between the socket shell terminal of the lamp 20 and the wire 68 through a wire 74, as shown in Figure 9.

The wires 74, 65, 66, 67 and 70 are housed in the hollow handle 51 and enter the main housing 12 through an opening 75 communicating with the handle.

It will be readily apparent from the diagram of Figure 9 that when the switch 69 is closed, and one of the switches defined by elements 33 and 34 is closed, an energizing circuit is completed for the red lamp 20 which includes the battery 32, the contacts 33 and 34, the strip 40, the wire 70, the switch 69, the wire 68, the serially connected switch members 71 and 73, the wire 74, and the lamp 20, whose center contact is connected to the positive terminal of the battery 32. Thus, the red lamp 20 is energized whenever the switch 69 is closed and when none of the push buttons 59, 60 and 61 are depressed. However, the energizing circuit for lamp 20 is opened when any one of said push buttons are depressed, because of the opening of the set of switch contacts 71 and 73 subadjacent to the button which is depressed.

Any one of the lamps 21, 22 or 23 may be selectively energized by depressing the associated push button 59, 60 or 61. For example, when the push button 59 is depressed, the lamp 21 becomes energized through a circuit which includes the wire 65, the switch contact 56, the switch contact 62, the wire 68, the switch 69, the wire 70, strip 40, and contacts 33 and 34 connecting strip 40 to battery 32, the positive terminal of the battery being connected to the center contact of lamp 21, as above explained. In the same manner, the lamp 22 becomes energized when the push button 60 is depressed and the lamp 23 becomes energized when the push button 61 is depressed. Therefore, when none of the push buttons 59, 60 and 61 is depressed, and the switch 69 is closed, the lantern gives a red signal. When the push button 59 is depressed, the red signal is extinguished and an amber signal is given by the energization of the lamp 21. When the push button 60 is depressed, the red signal is extinguished and a green signal is given by the energization of the lamp 22. When the push button 61 is depressed, the red signal is extinguished and a white signal is given by the energization of the lamp 23. Either one or both of the batteries 32, 32 may be employed, by selectively closing the switch contacts 33 and 34 by means of the slidable member 35 at the bottom of housing 12.

Extending slidably through the chamber 54 adjacent the respective buttons 59, 60 and 61 are the horizontally extending notched rods '75, transversely overlying the respective resilient arms 56, 57 and 58. Each rod 75 is formed with a carnming surface 76 which is arranged to engage the spring arm subadjacent thereto, the spring arm being positioned in the notch of the rod, and the carnming surface 76 being arranged to depress the spring arm responsive to the movement of the rod 75, to the left, as viewed in Figure 8, whereby the spring arm may be locked in a depressed position. Therefore, by laterally moving the appropriate slidable rod member 75, any one of the spring arms 56, 57 or 58 may be locked in a depressed position, whereby its associated signal lamp 21, 22 or 23 may be maintained in an energized condition, when desired.

Slidably engaged on the handle 51 is a flexible sleeve or wrapper 77 of any suitable material, such as flexible, transparent, plastic sheet material. The wrapper 77 is adapted to be disposed around the chamber 54 and to be secured therearound by means of draw strings 78 provided at the ends of the wrapper, whereby the chamber 54 will be completely covered during inclement weather, but the button elements 59, 60 and 61 and the rod element 75 will be visible through the wrapper and will be operable by the user of the lantern. The switch 69 will also be operable by the user even though covered by the wrapper 77.

While a specific embodiment of an improved signalling lantern for use in railway yards and similar locations has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. In a lantern of the character described, a housing having a light transmitting wall, a handle secured to said housing, a plurality or" difierently colored lamps in said housing, a battery in said housing, respective individual circuits connecting the lamps to said battery, an individual control switch in each circuit, each of said switches comprising a first resilient contact arm and a second resilient contact arm condnctively engageable by said first contact arm, an additional circuit, said additional circuit including respective additional resilient contact arms mechanically engageable by said second resilient contact arms and respective stationary contacts normally engaged by said respective resilient additional contact arms, said additional contact arms being respectively disengaged from said respective stationary contacts responsive to the closure of the respective first contact arms with the respective second contact arms, said control switches, additional contact arms and stationary contacts being mounted in said handle, the additional contact arms being subjacent the respective second resilient contact arms, said additional contact arms and said stationary contacts being normally connected in series with an additional lamp in said housing and said battery, whereby said additional lamp is energized when all of said individual control switches are opened and whereby said additional lamp is deenergized when any one of said first-named lamps is energized by the closure of its associated control switch.

2. In a lantern of the character described, a housing having a light transmitting wall, a handle secured to said housing, a plurality of differently colored lamps in said housing, a battery in said housing, respective individual circuits connecting the lamps to said battery, a push button control switch in each circuit, each of said switches comprising a first resilient contact arm and a second resilient contact arm conductively engageable by said first contact arm, an additional circuit, said additional circuit including respective resilient contact arms mechanically engageable by said second resilient contact arms and respective stationary contacts normally engaged by said respective resilient additional contact arms, said additional contact arms being respectively disengaged from said respective stationary contacts responsive to the closure of the respective first contact arms with the respective second contact arms, said control switches, additional contact arms and stationarycontacts being mounted in said handle, the additional contact arms being subjacent the respective second resilient contact arms, said additional contact arms and stationary contacts being normally connected in series with an additional lamp in said housing and said battery, whereby said additional lamp is energized when all of said individual control switches are open and whereby said additional lamp is deenergized when any one of said first-named lamps is energized by the closure of its associated control switch, and respective means slidably mounted in the handle and cammingly engageable with each push button control switch and arranged to lock said control switch in a closed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,414,414 Humber May 2, 1922 1,464,855 Sloan Aug. 14, 1923 1,544,020 Maddox, et al June 30, 1925 1,598,930 Patche Sept. 7, 1926 1,602,710 Saunders Oct. 12, 1926 2,420,634 Wohler et a1 May 13, 1947 2,581,129 Muldoon Jan. 1, 1952 

